Windy and cloudy

We haven't flown.  Too windy, gusty.   Cold bags of cold air, passing over Spain.  Spain that was hot already.  Result is cloudy skies, gusty winds, westernwinds.  That's the way it is.  Unfortunately for Chris Will who went home yesterday, his last two days weren't flyable.

Flying with the moon

Flying with the sun, flying with the moon.   Glorious eve flight inland.

Cabo de Santa Pola and Hondon later in the day

Chris, Erik and Helen, Sean as well.  We all had a laugh, a drink, a flight.  A day to remember.    One more enthusiastic than the other, but overall awesome.

We flew early day at the cliffs untill it got too south and tricky.  Later in the day we flew Hondon.
A hike up, but more and more a path.   Evening flights as always at Hondon. 

Dudo's last wish was to fly with us above his favourite hills, we did yesterday the 1st of May.

We couldn't have chosen a better day to fullfill Dudo's last wish.  We flew with lots of his friends, all together over his favourite hill.   We left his ashes in the air, so he will always be remembered as one of our top pilots who left us.

Some of the pilots on foto.

Dudo, again, and again, we will never ever forget you.

R.I.P.

Carrascoy, Mazarron, Alhama de Murcia

 Paella in Mazarron in between a not so nice flight near Carrascoy, too turbulent according to our winddummy of the day Marcel.
Down below returning home afte a long day, what a sunset we had.  Tropical sunset, like the sky was burning.

 Thats how the sky looked like in Alhama de Murcia, afternoons.  Heavy.

 Ricardo passenger and pilot Pani from Murcia.

 Christel and Michael from Germany, in the middle Chris from England.  Waiting it out, and evenutally not flying.  Too strong and way too unstable late afternoon.
Look at the sky, it'll tell you lots.

Some chilled soaring at the coast.  Always a pleasure.

Again some problems with the site.   Even to be read in the papers.   Townhall, local politicians want to have an urgent meeting about the site.  Too many accidents lately.

We got together with most of the local pilots, and we'll see what we can do about it.   Please if you come down to Alicante, get in touch with us.  Or if needed go to the local school.  Do not fly this site on your own.  More and more the site is endangered.  Only local pilots can help you out, to avoid more incidents, accidents.  So call us, email us.  And we got the extra mile to give you the best time you'll ever dreamt of flying our sites.

For those understanding spanish, here is the article :
http://www.diarioinformacion.com/baix-vinalopo/2012/04/24/ayuntamiento-estudia-ultimos-accidentes-parapente-faro/1246511.html

Thermals fingerlicking good

 Up north people were asked to stay in their houses because of 140 km per hour gusty winds.  A meteo bomb in the morth, cyclogenesis, means pressure drops more than 24 mB in less than 24 hours.  This is a sudden huge almost hurricane force storm, that only lasts max two days.
Thank god, no people got killed this year, last year several died up north, and 50 people died in France because of that brutal meteo phenonemon.
But we were aware that if winds would pick up, we would have to come down and chill.
But nothing of that, till 7.30 from 11 am flying inland.  Smooth thermals for all of us in the end. 
Andy Shaw below with his students on the hill.

Elche paragliding

Buenos Aires Elche why not.  A small hill, soaring east.

Alhama de Murcia

A lovely day out on the sites near Murcia.  We have to thank once again our pilots from Murcia to let us use their precious sites. 
We flew Alhama de Murcia, and had an amazing sunset on top of it.

Palomaret at its best

Palomaret on sunday.   Lots of pilots as local school Kasana organised guiding for their pilots.  I can only applaude, after all those years, about 20 knowing the local schools, at last, they start taking it serious.
Exactly what all new pilots need, some back up  to score big in upcomin distance cups etc... sharing experience with the big boys.  Absolutely great.

We did our thing on the side.  Geert who flies hiw new Aspen4, did his runs up and down to Maigmo.  Others had their first flight in thermals, first flights in Spain.  Overall a splendid day.

Toix Calpe

Niiiiiiiiice.  Flying at Calpe.  Southwesterlies for  a while giving us enough time to enjoy this splendid lovely looking site.

Last day chilling, enjoying Spain as it is

Tomorrow we'll go to Carrascoy. We have dates with our neighbouring pilots from Murcia.

Chilling is an art

Chilling. Scanning weather forecasts. Scanning news. Spanish king apologized for going on a elephant safari. Listening to Norah Jones' new album.Warm enough to go in shorts, getting a coffee. Winds howling. Norwegian pilots nerveus, they want to fly. Understandable. Chilling is an art.

Still flying after all these years ...

Out of the hat ? No, just dealing with years of experience. Sorry.
Strong western winds, but up the norhtern coastline, more southwest than the norhtwesterlies that were predicted. A haze coming in from Benidorm area. Time to cruise around Jijona, Carrasqueta and waiting how strong the breeze was gonna kick in at central hours. Bam. 3 pm, strong southeasterly, start the engine and lets go kick off at Palomaret. Bingo, Ariel was there as well, he always is lately.

Nova Factor still performing like a brandnew wing.

Gradient Aspen4, different breakline scheme ...

Gradient Colours, is there no lady in the company ? I mean baby blue and pink ? For years I think they have excellent gliders, but holy shit, what about some aestethics, dealing with the nature of beauty ...

Geert unpacking his brandnew Gradient Aspen4.

Bored ? Never.

The rock'n roll band.

We weren't flying yesterday. Except a late late afternoonflight yesterday for the crazy Norwegians. They are always out there to milk every minute. And they did it. Flew in a half hour window at the cliffs, while the moon was rising.

During the day we climbed the Via Ferrata in Villena, always fun. Good to be active on lazy flying days. Thanks joining.

Strong april winds

Back from visiting family and friends in Belgium. Stuffed with chocolate, best beers in the world and fries. Ready to go again, although we have to be chilling a bit. Winds too strong, huge instability inland, rainy days even on our hills.

At the coast lots better, but not flyable. We have to see day by day when to play.

Meeting point at playa Cabo de Santa Pola

New meeting point at beach Santa Pola. Here we can meet, get some drinks, a snack.

The friendly bar is supporting paragliding, so we should have drinks at theirs.

The bar near take off is as well our meeting point as last year, Bar Toscana that is. Where some lovely friendly girlfriends of us serve us drinks and snacks.

Dudo has landed

Dudo has landed.

In his own words while fighting his last weeks of illness. He said as he was known, he was gonna fight and try to stay up till last breeze, till the last thermal was giving him hope. Untill the sun went down.

He fought it till the last.

He told us he had an illusion to take him on his last flight above his favourite hills. Don't worry Dudo, it'll be a great flight. We promise.

I will miss you forever. Big hug.

Dudo ha aterisado.

Ha luchado contra su enfermedad.

En sus propias palabras hasta ultimo dia. Hablando de su vuelo de las últimas semanas. Como luchador, queria volar hasta la ultima termica, hasta que no quedaba ni una pizca de brisa, hasta el ultimo metro queria ascender.
Y luego aterrizar en paz.

Dudo te echaré de menos siempre. Campeon.

Su ilusión de volar su ultimo vuelo lo vamos a cumplir. Vamos a volar con el por encima de sus montañas favoritas. Un abrazo fuerte Dudo, significabas mucho para mi.